Zhang Anruo, 3, sports a Geng brand red dress while posing with a giant rabbit sculpture. Photo: Li Hao/GT

As Beijing swelters through another summer, kids across the capital are pestering their parents to head outdoors and make the most of rare clear skies and warm temperatures. In place of the heavy down coats, long-johns and scarves stowed away in closets, new lines of simple yet sophisticated Chinese-influenced clothes are on show among kids eager to look - and feel - cool this summer.

Many designs reflect children's sporty nature and are appropriately suited to picnic and countryside outings.

Zhang Anruo is one of the tiny tots strutting fresh yet vintage offerings this summer from domestic designer Zhou Gengfei's label Geng, which was founded in 2009.

The 3-year-old is hardly camera-shy, frolicking in a yard in a comfortable, cotton cheongsam that allows her to jump up and down.

Bucking the stereotype of the traditional Chinese dress, Zhang's loose-fitting cheongsam offers a refreshing, youthful change from the garment's staid, figure-hugging reputation.

Zhang Anruo, 3, and her sister Enruo, 1, wear a cheongsam from Geng. Photo:Li Hao/GT

Zhu Ziyu, 3, wears Geng to dress for a picnic. Photo:Courtesy of Zhou Gengfei

Xiao Xiao, 4, sports a Geng horse shirt. Photo: Courtesy of Zhou Gengfei

At Anruo's side is her younger sister Enruo, 1, who sports the same design with cool blue wave pattern.

"Picnic-style clothes are in this summer for kids' fashion. Kids shouldn't be confined to indoors, which is why this season's focus is on abandoning sophisticated designs in favor of simple ones. For example, in girls' fashion puffy sleeves and bowknots should be avoided," Zhou explains.

Zhou opted to run with pure colors and "simple yet cute" patterns, such as chubby rabbits and tables, to emphasize this summer's picnic theme.

"With regards to the trim, no part of the clothes is cut too tight to the body to show curves. They are all of a straight cut. Furthermore, the materials used are either cotton or linen," she says.

But for the elder Zhang sister, there's no hiding that her favorite dress this summer is a stunning red dress - an appropriate color given the soaring mercury.

Hao Meng, mother of the Zhang sisters, says her priority in dressing her daughters is achieving a "casual, sporty" look - a far cry from the look many girls who grow up on Disney movies aspire to embrace.

"The [puffy] princess dress doesn't suit the nature of children. Kids like to run around and play until they work up a sweat, so it's more convenient to dress them casually," says Hao.

Hao also defies common parent wisdom by refusing to buy her daughters clothes to grow into, insisting that it's best to dress them for their shape - no matter how fleeting it is.

"Dressing to the appropriate size is better. Some kids dress in clothes that are too big. They look so weird, like they are dressed in a giant hood," says Zhou.

"The key thing to remember is not to be too complicated when dressing your children. Get away from busy decorations and find the simplest form to make your children stand out," she adds.

Yangyang and Yiyi, both 3, show off the Tang' Roulou spring/summer collection. Photo: Courtesy of Pierre-Yves Babin

Yiyi wears a limited edition tunic. Photo: Courtesy of Pierre-Yves Babin

Pierre-Yves Babin, one of the two French designers of  Tang' Roulou, a kids clothing brand founded in 2007 in Beijing, told Metropolitan their inspiration for this season came from gardens and countryside. "Beijing is a big city with serious environmental problems. Our 2013 Spring/Summer collection is inspired by nature. We wanted to provide the children with fresh air," said Babin.

In Tang' Roulou's new collection, traditional Chinese style has been preserved and more attention is given to color rather than patterns.

"For this collection, we've been playing with green, blue and flowers, but also with mandarin ducks, cherries and gingko leaves. Our Spring/ Summer designs are a mix between the colors of nature and elements of Chinese culture," Babin explains.